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Diabetes: Diagnosis

Asked by Sir John HayesConservativeDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 21 May 2026UIN 23

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if NHS England will take steps to routinely offer finger-prick testing for anyone with symptoms of type 1 diabetes.

Answered by Mrs Sharon Hodgson

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recently updated the clinical guidelines on type 1 diabetes in children and young people, which is available at the following link:

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng18

This sets out that children and young people without a known diagnosis of diabetes can also present with diabetic ketoacidosis which requires urgent diagnosis and management. This includes the measurement of capillary blood glucose, which is usually undertaken through a finger-prick test.

NHS England is also exploring improvements that can be made to support clinicians in identifying type 1 diabetes, as well as raising awareness of the signs of type 1 diabetes for the public and clinicians.

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